GoAir accused of denying ticket for speaking Kannada

News Network
September 29, 2017

Bengaluru, Sept 29: The Kannada Development Authority has issued a notice to GoAir, accusing it of denying a ticket to a passenger, who has charged the airline with harassing him for speaking in Kannada at the Kempegowda International Airport.

Balaji Narayana Murthy was among 14 passengers who arrived at the check-in counter of GoAir for their 5.45 am flight to Mumbai on Wednesday. “We were five minutes late to the airport as overnight rain had resulted in slow-moving traffic. In fact, it took us more than 30 minutes from the Trumpet Flyover to the KIA. We explained the delay to a staff and sought help to board the next flight,” Murthy said.

As the staff was not forthcoming even after half an hour, the 14 passengers decided to speak to the manager, who assured them alternative tickets. “When we were at the manager’s counter, I was speaking in Kannada to another passenger. A staffer with GoAir shouted that I can’t speak in Kannada at the airport,” Murthy said.

Murthy said the staffer named Sandeep later issued tickets to 13 passengers but left him out.

“When I asked for my ticket, Sandeep told me I won’t get the ticket as I was speaking in my language. Despite repeated pleas, he refused to help. It was a refundable ticket. Finally, I asked him for a refund which he declined stating that I came beyond the stipulated time. I asked him for a written explanation but it was not given. I felt humiliated but couldn’t do anything,” he added.

‘Swift action must’

Murthy spent Rs 9,000 to buy another ticket for Mumbai. “I sent a mail to GoAir customer care at 7 pm explaining my plight in detail. Till now, I have not received even a reply,” he said.

KDA chief S G Siddaramaiah has written to GoAir seeking action against the staff and an explanation before October 10. 

“I urge you to remove your staff and provide an explanation for the incident. On October 10, I will visit Kempegowda International Airport to review implementation of Kannada. I request you to submit a report explaining the action taken against the staffer concerned,” the letter says.

Noting that no person or organisation has the authority to ask a passenger to stop speaking in their local language, the letter states that it is objectionable to know that a staffer of a responsible organisation has behaved in such a way.

“It is the primary responsibility of all organisations working in Karnataka to respect the language and culture of the land. We need to see whether organisations like GoAir that forget the responsibility can be allowed to function in Karnataka. We need to communicate that Karnataka does not need organisations that do not respect its language,” S G Siddaramaiah has said.

Comments

prakash
 - 
Sunday, 1 Oct 2017

Sandeep looks like a third class person  he should be sacked from the duty immediately before he hurt anybody else, a proper leagal action should be taken against him for the insult he did.

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News Network
May 2,2020

Udupi, May 2: All the 18 people who were advised self-quarantine in connection with the Thekkatte petrol bunk incident have been tested negative, however, they were asked to continue the 14-day quarantine, said DHO Sudhirchandra Suda on Saturday.

the petrol bunk at Thekkatte was sealed after a Covid infected person had food and took bath at the petrol bunk, while he was travelling from Mumbai to Mandya.

The employees and the owner of the petrol bunk along with the six employees at Sasthana toll gate were asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days.

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News Network
April 12,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 12: Swift and strict action by the District Administration has resulted in the district achieving ‘Clean’ week with no new cases of COVID-19 reported for the seventh day in a row.

Meanwhile, in a happy coincidence, the district’s only infant allegedly affected – a ten month old child – was totally cured and discharged from the hospital along with infant’s mother and grandmother who were considered to the primary contacts. They are never tested positive for the virus, it is reported. Health experts attributed this to their natural immunity.

The child is said to have contracted the infection during a family visit to Kasargod, which has turned in to a Covid-19 hot spot. The family which hails from Sajipanadu in Bantwal-taluk had been kept in isolation ever since the child had tested positive on March 25. The quarantine was extended to the entire village as a preventive measure and the District Administration undertook the responsibility to providing essential supplies.

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News Network
May 8,2020

Bengaluru, May 8: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said his government is clear in its stand on extending every possible help to the farmers. The Chief Minister spoke to the farmer-leaders of the state, who wanted their concerns to be heard and addressed, with regard to the problems the agrarian community has been facing in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

"We will soon make our position clear on supporting the farmers. We will not allow any hindrance to come in the way of agriculture activities," Yediyurappa told the farmer- leaders.

The Chief Minister told the delegation that the pre-monsoon activities are in full swing in the state.

The government has also set up help centres and been providing agriculture equipment on rent, the Chief Minister said. In most of the places, at least 80 per cent of the standing crops have been harvested.

Arrangements have been made to bring equipment from neighbouring states to harvest the standing crop, he said.

Yediyurappa said fertilisers and seeds are available in abundance in the state.

He informed the farmer-leaders about the arrangements made to transport flowers, vegetables and fruits to other states.

Similarly, the market has been developed for the farmers to sell their products, said the Chief Minister.

He said the government is working out a compensation for farmers who lost their crops due to hailstorm in Raichur, Koppal and Ballari. Agriculture Minister B C Patil, Horticulture Minister Narayana Gowda, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar and Development Commissioner Vandita Sharma were also present in the meeting.

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